


Young Punks

by atlus



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-05-15 11:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlus/pseuds/atlus
Summary: Ana and Fareeha leave their broken home behind to start a new life. Their new neighborhood is amazing... except for one neighbor. Jack Morrison is stuck up and, quite frankly, an ass. How can Ana possibly tolerate this annoying man, especially when they first meet because he yells at her daughter?





	1. Moving Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! To start off with a warning, this is my first fic on the site. I used to write a lot on other websites, but fell out of it over the years. I’m ready to get back in, though! I hope I am able to start out strong. -atlus

Ana let out a long sigh. Her hands gripped the steering wheel of her beaten up SUV. It wasn’t much, but it had gotten her from point A to point B for years. The sun was slowly setting on the road ahead of her; she had been driving since the early hours of the morning. The thought of driving anymore sickened her, but she needed to arrive at the house that night.

“Mom,” A small voiced whined from her right, “are we there yet?”

Oh, that’s right. Not _she_ , more like _they._

“Fareeha,” Ana scolded, “if we were there, we wouldn’t still be driving now, would we?” Her daughter’s face went red as she tried to turn away, but she reached out and playfully pinched her cheek. “We’ll be there soon, I promise.”

“You’ve been saying that for hours!” Fareeha cried, crossing her arms in a huff. She wasn’t normally so pouty, but being cooped up in the car for so long had obviously gotten to her.

Ana rolled her eyes, knowing not to play into this mood. If she did reply, Fareeha would certainly continue to complain. The turn signal clicked loudly in the sudden silence as she turned into a small neighborhood. Fareeha glanced up and her eyes became wide. The houses were beautiful!

Their home was some kind of shack in comparison to these babies. 

Well, their _old_ home, anyway.

They slowly cruised through the area, passing so many houses as they went. There were children outside playing, people walking their dogs, and a few couples sitting on their porches, carrying on conversations. Fareeha was delighted. Ana was, too, though she only showed a small smile.

Finally, Ana turned into a driveway. The driveway she had been looking for. The driveway they had spent hours upon hours searching for. Although the SUV was only in park for a second, Fareeha threw off her seatbelt and bolted out the door before Ana could say a word.

“Mom, this is amazing!” Fareeha cried, running around the yard like a madman, “How did you find this? It’s so cool! Look at all these kids, and there’s pets, and, and-”

Ana put a finger to her lips, though she chuckled at her daughter’s outburst. “You can play later. Right now, we need to unpack the car.” She took Fareeha’s hand and nearly dragged her back to the car. Opening the trunk revealed boxes upon boxes of items. Fareeha let out another exaggerated sigh, but grabbed one of the small boxes to appease her mother. Ana lifted a larger box and followed her to the door.

The door opened to a spacious living room. Fareeha looked to be on the verge of bursting once more, but simply sat her box down and headed back outside. Ana followed. However, a man was standing in the driveway, waiting for them. Ana grabbed her daughter’s shoulder to stop her in her tracks. When the man saw he caused her jumpiness, her came forward with a smile.

“Hello there, miss,” He said, “I’m Reinhardt Wilhelm. I don’t know if you’d consider me your neighbor, since I do live across the street, but I figured I should come introduce myself.” Reinhardt extended his incredibly large hand, ready to deliver a firm handshake. He still wore a smile, which was visible even with the blonde locks falling into his face.

His gestures immediately calmed Ana and she graciously shook his hand. “I’m Ana Amari,” She replied, “And this is my daughter, Fareeha.” Fareeha happily shook Reinhardt’s hand; he was careful not to completely crush her.

“Do you need any assistance?” Reinhardt asked, “I’d be more than happy to help. You seem to have a lot on your hands.”

Though Ana was not one to accept help most of the time, she felt less bad about accepting it from this man; he was _huge._ A few boxes really couldn’t bother him, could they? She smiled and Reinhardt took that as his cue to start lifting. Without warning, he lifted four large boxes from the SUV with ease. He had to uncomfortably angle himself to fit through the front door, but he eventually made it work.

With Reinhardt’s help, all the boxes were stacked in the new house in no time. Ana could not thank him enough. “It’s no trouble,” He kept repeating, “I just like to lend a hand every once in awhile.” Though he wouldn’t accept her thanks, he did accept an invitation to dinner when the house was guest-ready.

Once he was gone, Ana laid down on the living room floor. She was positively exhausted. Fareeha laid down next to her. “What are we gonna do without furniture?” Her daughter asked.

“We’ll get some soon,” Ana assured her, ruffling her dark hair, “it’s nothing to worry about.” With that, Ana sat up and opened a few boxes until she found what she was looking for: blankets. She pulled out a large comforter along with a few pillows. “Now, you should go to bed. We’re going to have another busy day tomorrow.”

Fareeha made a face as if she were about to protest, but a yawn interrupted her. She gave in to her mother’s wishes and allowed herself to be tucked in, along with a kiss on the forehead. Ana got up to use the bathroom, and by the time she came back, Fareeha was already in a deep sleep. Though she didn’t want to wake her daughter, she decided she should at least move the boxes into their respective rooms.

Ana carefully tiptoed through the house, taking one box at a time. A few boxes to Fareeha’s room, a few boxes to her own room, a box or two into the closet… boxes were eventually stacked everywhere. After awhile, she placed the final box in the kitchen with the smallest thud. She opened it, as it was full of cups and other dishes. She grabbed a mug and filled it up at the sink.

As Ana sipped her water, she glanced out the window above the sink. The neighborhood was dimly lit by street lamps, but it was mesmerizing to look at. Fareeha was right to be so excited. This was an amazing place to start their new life, as unexpected as it may have been. Before arriving, Ana really thought she let her daughter down. She hoped the feeling would continue to fade as time went on.

As hard as she tried, Ana managed to make a single creak as she stepped back into the living room. Fareeha stirred, but didn’t seem to wake up. Ana kneeled on the floor next to her and slowly crawled under the comforter. Unfortunately, Fareeha must’ve woken up to some degree, because she turned to face her mother.

“Do you think Dad is going to come visit us?” She asked in a whisper.

Ana’s heart was caught in her throat, but she kissed her daughter’s forehead one more time.

“I don’t know, sweetheart, but let’s not worry about that.”


	2. New Kid on the Block

Ana awoke the next morning with a groan. She barely opened her eyelids to see the sun had nearly risen. As much as she wanted to go back to sleep, she knew it would be a bad idea. With a quick rub of the eyes, Ana got up from the floor and proceeded to nudge Fareeha with her foot. Her daughter rolled around aggressively, until finally awakening with an equally distasteful groan.

“What time is it?” Fareeha asked with a yawn. She propped herself up on her hands to get a better view of her mother.

“Time for us to get up, sweetheart,” Ana replied, offering Fareeha a hand. She accepted, and Ana pulled her off of the floor. “Like I said last night, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

Ana headed into her room while Fareeha attended to her own. The two diligently unpacked their things, though Ana could hear her daughter squealing from time to time. Fareeha loved her room just as much as she loved the rest of the house, and even the neighborhood. She wasn’t very good at holding it in, and Ana wouldn’t scold her for that. The excitement was even getting to her a little bit.

The two hung their clothes, folded their sheets, and set up all of their trinkets. The bedrooms were perfect, minus the actual _bed_ part. Fareeha was still happy; simply imagining a big, princess-like bed in the middle of the room was good enough for her. Ana was thankful for this, even though she knew they’d have furniture soon.

Fareeha came into her mother’s room after she was finished unpacking. “Mom, I’m hungry,” She said with a slight whine in her voice, “do we have any food?”

Ana frowned, which was enough to answer her daughter’s question. Fareeha frowned, too, but Ana ruffled her hair in reassurance. Before Ana could speak, however, a knock was heard at the door. Confused, but intrigued, Ana headed for the living room.

“Hello!” A peppy voice hit Ana’s ears the minute the door was opened, “I’m Angela, your next door neighbor. It’s so nice to meet you! I saw you moving in yesterday, and I thought you must be exhausted from all that unpacking. So, I brought over some food.” The woman held a plastic container out to Ana. This is when she finally got a good look at her; she was extremely petite and her blonde hair was put in a neat ponytail.

“It’s nothing bad,” Angela piped up when Ana didn’t say anything, “just some meatballs and crispbread. My boyfriend loves when I make them.”

Ana shook her head, lost in thought. “Ah, I’m sorry,” She replied, “I’m just a little tired still, is all. Thank you very much.” She took the container from Angela’s hand and sat it on a nearby box. “I’m Ana, by the way.”

“And who’s this little angel?” Angela said with a giggle, pointing behind Ana. She turned to see Fareeha behind her, blushing from the comment. Ana waved her forward.

“I’m Fareeha,” her daughter said, offering her hand to Angela. She gladly accepted.

The blonde clutched her chest as if she was having a heart attack, swooning at Fareeha’s manners. After a bit more small talk, Angela said her goodbyes and left the two to their own devices. It took seconds for Fareeha to run for the plastic container and rip it open, with Ana nearly chasing her down.

Ana forced Fareeha to stand at the counter with her so they could eat the meal together. Fareeha scarfed down her half of the meatballs as well as a few slices of crispbread. Ana took her time, trying hard not to make a mess in their home of less than twenty four hours. Once the two were finished, Ana rinsed out the plastic container and made a mental note to thank Angela again later.

“Now what?” Fareeha asked.

Ana’s fingers tapped the kitchen counter in rhythm. Yes, they had things to get done, but she felt terrible about keeping Fareeha cooped up in the house all day. “Well, we saw a lot of other children when we drove in yesterday,” She said, “why don’t you go play with them? I’m sure it would be more fun than unpacking.”

Fareeha grinned. She thanked her mother, gave her a quick hug, and ran out the door. Ana shook her head, but chuckled under her breath; if only she had been that outgoing when she was Fareeha’s age. With that, Ana began unpacking more of the kitchen, silently praying her daughter would be at least a little careful.

Outside, Fareeha wandered the neighborhood. There were so many families enjoying themselves on their front lawns on the warm, sunny day. It made her heart melt in both a good and bad way. Yes, she was happy that all of these other people were happy… but she wished her dad could be there, too. Then, the Amaris could be one of the happy families enjoying the sunshine.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she was struck in the side of the head.

“Ow!” Fareeha cried, placing a hand on the ear that had been hit. “What the heck?” She kneeled on the ground to pick up the culprit: a frisbee? Maybe it was a frisbee, but it had the density of a rock.

“Nice one, idiot!” A girl’s voice called, which was followed by a loud slap.

“Ow, jeez! It was an accident!” A boy’s voice retorted. Fareeha looked up to see that same boy walking toward her. “I’m sorry, mate. I really didn’t mean to hit you.”

Fareeha held up the blunt object. “What is this?” She asked.

“Oh, it’s…” The boy scratched his neck, avoiding eye contact, “it’s a frisbee, but I painted it to look like a mine. I have a couple of them, we throw them around as jokes.” He chuckled a little, trying to lighten the situation.

Fareeha took this time to examine the boy. He had blonde hair that stuck up in all directions. He didn’t wear a shirt, but his cargo shorts were practically shredded. She handed him his ‘mine,’ then pushed herself off the ground. “It’s okay, I didn’t think you did it on purpose,” She said with a giggle, “I’m Fareeha, by the way. My mom and I just moved in down the street.”

Before the blonde boy could say anything, the girl pushed him out of the way in order to reach Fareeha first. “Hiya!” She said, “I’m Lena. It’s nice to see another girl around, these two are just rubbish sometimes.” Lena’s brown hair had a few daring spikes, and her English accent was charming.

“We aren’t _rubbish_ ,” Said the other boy, “I mean, have you seen me skate?” Fareeha realized he was, in fact, wearing in-line skates. He skated over to her on the sidewalk with ease. “I’m Lúcio, by the way.”

“Could you all shut up?” The blonde boy cried, “I hit her with the mine, you could at least let me talk!” When everyone was quiet, he smiled contently, “That’s better. I’m Jamison, anyhow. Nice to meet you, Fareeha.”

Fareeha looked at the group, taking them in as a hole. If she saw them apart, she’d never imagine they were friends. However, there was something quirky about them that she enjoyed. “So,” She asked, breaking the silence, “What do you guys do for fun?”

Jamison laughed louder than everyone else.

“Oh don’t worry, we’ll show you.”


	3. Blown Up

When Fareeha began wandering the neighborhood, she didn’t expect to make new friends so quickly. However, she also didn’t expect to be lugging a bunch of fake mines around on the way to ‘bomb’ someone’s house. As hesitant as she had been to take part in the group’s idea of fun, Jamison kept assuring her everything would be okay. She finally agreed, though she lagged behind the others on the way to their destination.

Soon enough, the four ended up at a house that looked oddly familiar. Fareeha turned her head to see her own house was right next to it.

“What are we doing again?” Fareeha asked in a small voice, “This is literally my neighbor’s house. If we do anything bad, my mom will know about it.”

Jamison laughed loudly, clutching his chest afterward to catch his breath. “It’s fine. Someone is just about to get blown up!” He laughed again, this time with a high pitched squeal.

“If we get caught, I’ll just scoop you up and skate you away,” Lúcio said with a smile.

“And I can run really fast,” Lena added, “so I’ll definitely get away.”

Fareeha nodded, becoming excited along with them. Maybe it would be fun, and it’s not like they were _really_ going to blow up the neighbor’s house. It was just a cute, childish prank of sorts. Even if her mother did find out, she’d understand… right?

“Places, everyone!” Jamison’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “When I say ‘go,’ begin pelting!” Everyone nodded to show understanding.

“Ready…” They each took a stance.

“Set…” They each took a ‘mine’ in hand and readied their throwing arms.

“ _Go!_ ”

The group began pelting the house with the mine-like frisbees. Frisbees bounced off the side of the house and lodged themselves in the branches of trees. They crash landed into the garden, tearing up the dirt. The horrible banging mixed with the children’s laughter really made the whole thing quite a show.

That is, until Jamison sent a frisbee directly through the front window window.

It only took a few seconds for someone to bust through the front door. A tall, blonde man who looked pretty angry and understandably so.

“Oh man, it’s Morrison!” Cried Lúcio, immediately taking off. Jamison and Lena quickly followed him, leaving Fareeha standing alone in the yard.

The man called ‘Morrison’ came at Fareeha red in the face. “What is the meaning of this?” He yelled, gesturing toward his shattered window.

“I’m sorry, mister,” Fareeha mumbled, “Jamison thought it would be funny, but he-”

“It doesn’t matter what your friends did,” He interrupted her, “they’re gone. What matters is that someone is going to fix this mess, and it looks like it’s you.” He continued to lay into her, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear it seemed. The longer it went on, the closer Fareeha came to bursting. When the man finally stopped to catch his breath, Fareeha began to cry.

This is when Ana finally stopped unpacking. She raised her head to listen closer. Once her ears caught the sound of the crying child, she rushed outside to see what all the fuss was about. She opened the door to see the blonde man standing over her daughter, who was a mess of tears. To say she was furious was an understatement.

“What are you doing?” Ana cried, running over to Fareeha and enveloping her in a hug.

The man crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the sidewalk. “Is this your daughter?”

“Yes,” Ana replied fiercely, “and I’d like to know how you’ve managed to make her cry.”

Again, he gestured to his broken window. “Well, her and her little friends were nice enough to attack my house with these stupid frisbees,” He stopped for a moment to pick one up off the ground, “and managed to shatter my living room window.”

“I did throw the frisbees, and I’m sorry,” Fareeha got out through her sobs, “but I wasn’t the one who broke your window, it was Jamison!”

Ana hugged her tighter, ruffling her hair to give her some comfort. “She said she’s sorry. You could’ve simply taken this to me instead of humiliating her in front of the entire neighborhood,” She scolded him with a wag of her finger, “I can handle my daughter myself, thank you very much, _sir._ ” The last words tasted like venom in her mouth.

“It’s Jack,” He replied simply, “Jack Morrison. And I hope I never see your young punk of a daughter on my lawn again.”

“Oh, Jack Morrison,” Ana hissed, “I hope to never see you speaking to me or daughter again.” With that, she took Fareeha’s hand and led her up their own driveway. Jack watched them walk away, his gaze never leaving Ana, but never growing any less harsh.

Once the two girls were inside, Ana made Fareeha sit on the floor with her so they could talk. Even though Ana was aggravated with the neighbor, she was still disappointed in her daughter for choosing to do something so ridiculous. “Why did you think that was a good idea?” She asked Fareeha.

“I don’t know,” Fareeha shrugged, “I just thought they wanted to be friends with me. So, I figured they wouldn’t want to anymore if I didn’t go along with it.”

“If ‘friends’ make you do something you don’t want to, then they aren’t really your friends,” Ana said, giving her daughter’s shoulder a squeeze. Fareeha nodded, letting her mother’s words sink in.

Ana warned her not to go around the group of children again or she would be in big trouble. With that, Ana gave Fareeha a kiss on the temple and walked with her to the car; after that incident, she figured it was the best time to pick out some nice, new furniture. Of course, this also meant Fareeha could pick out her new princess bed.

While the Amaris left to enjoy the rest of their day, Jack Morrison was picking glass out of his carpet.


	4. A Formal Apology

The _snap_ of a beer can opening resonated in the cool, outside air. Jack took a sip, then sat it in the grass next to his feet. He was relaxing on his lawn along with Gabriel, his best pal of many years. The two had been drinking and chatting, which is what most of the time they spent together consisted of. Though it sounded simple, simple was enjoyable to them.

“So, what’s up with your new neighbors exactly?” Gabriel asked, chugging the last few ounces of his beer before crushing the can with his foot.

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The little girl, she’s just a punk. My front window isn’t worth some stupid prank her and her friends think is cute, or whatever.”

“How about her mom?” He pried, “How’d she react?”

“Oh, she was boiling,” Jack said, “she couldn’t believe I’d laid into her perfect kid like that. I’ll tell you what, she definitely deserved it. I don’t care what her mom thinks.”

Gabriel nodded, grabbing another can of beer from the cooler that sat between them. “Sounds reasonable. How _is_ she though?”

Jack raised his eyebrow at the other man. “What do you mean?”

“Is she something to look at?” Gabriel elaborated.

Before Jack could answer, the neighbor’s SUV pulled back into its driveway. The two girls got out of the car and grabbed some boxes from the trunk, never sparing the men a glance. Though he had tried to ignore them, Gabriel quietly watched the scene without seeming too nosy.

“That answers my question,” Gabriel muttered with a smirk, casually sipping his beer.

Jack scoffed. That’s Gabe, always about the ladies… he thought, but I guess he’s not wrong.

“You should try to make up with her,” The man suggested, “I mean, she is your neighbor. If you ever need something, it’d be easiest to ask her. She won’t want to help if she, y’know, hates you.”

Jack simple shrugged and sipped more of his beer. Gabriel did have a point. If Jack was ever in need, he’d appreciate having someone so close; he wasn’t thinking about it how Gabriel might’ve implied, though. As the two men sat together on the lawn, enjoying the nice weather, he contemplated the possibility of apologizing in his mind.

On the inside of the neighbor’s house, there was more commotion. It had been a few days since the incident with Jack. Since then, the bedrooms were blessed with actual beds. There was a roughed up, but usable couch in the living room. A sturdy dinner table along with some simple wooden chairs occupied the dining room. The house was really coming together.

Ana opened the boxes she had brought in from the car. They contained some wall decor she thought would help make the place more homey. Fareeha had agreed, even picking out some pictures herself. Ana was growing less and less concerned about letting her daughter down; her daughter seemed to be in heaven over the new home. 

“Fareeha, could you do your mother a favor?” Ana asked as she unpacked the last of the decorations.

“Yeah, sure,” She replied, eager to please her mother.

“Could you go ask Reinhardt and Angela if they’d like to come over for dinner tomorrow night? You can invite your friends, too, if you want,” Ana wavered on the last part, “just be careful if you do, okay?”

Fareeha nodded, excitement filling her veins. She was ecstatic about being able to help her mother. After getting a kiss on the cheek, she eagerly headed out the front door to complete her task. As she was leaving, Gabriel had also just left the neighboring house. Jack was still sitting out in the yard, which allowed him to notice Fareeha leaving the nest.

Jack figured there wouldn’t be a better time to apologize than when Fareeha wasn’t there. He folded up his lawn chair and put it back in the garage along with his cooler. He headed next door as slowly as possible, trying to figure out what he would say. After all the time he spent thinking, he never actually decided on any words.

Before he knew it, he was at the Amaris’ front door. There was regret forming in the pit of his stomach, but he fought the feelings and knocked on the door. He heard shuffling on the other side followed by the rattling of the lock. When Ana opened the door, she jumped before settling on an annoyed facial expression. Jack offered her a smile, though it wasn’t too convincing.

“What do you want, Mr. Morrison?” She asked coldly.

He twiddled his thumbs, attempting to drum up something to say. “I wanted to apologize for yelling at your daughter,” He said, “it wasn’t my place to try to discipline someone else’s child, and I know that now.” He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

Ana cocked her head to the side, obviously not expecting an apology. “Really?”

“Yes,” He replied, “I regret getting off on the wrong foot with you and your daughter. I hope that we can put this behind us and become civilized neighbors.” He offered a hand to Ana. She paused for a moment, but slowly accepted the handshake.

“Thank you, Mr. Morrison,” She said, smiling back at him, “I’m glad to see you aren’t as completely rude as you came off.”

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle. “No problem, miss..?” He raised his eyebrow, realizing he never got her name.

“It’s Ana, Ana Amari.”

“Ah,” He nodded, “You know, you can call me Jack, Ana.”

Ana blushed. She hadn’t meant to be so formal with him, though it was most likely sarcastic out of anger. “Well, Jack, would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow? I’m inviting some of the neighbors and you _are_ one of those, aren’t you?”

“I’ll be there,” Jack replied with a salute, “I’ll see you then.”

Ana watched as Jack walked back to his house. She was pleasantly surprised with how he had handled the situation. However, she wouldn’t be letting her guard down yet. First impressions were everything.


	5. Invitations

Fareeha walked the neighborhood, ready to take on her mother’s request. She was lucky it was a sunny day. As she walked, she contemplated whether or not she would invite her ‘friends.’ She wasn’t upset with them, except for Jamison. It was his fault she was scolded. Lena and Lúcio didn’t really do anything wrong. They were just scared. Maybe they were dying to hear about what happened with Mr. Morrison.

The first house Fareeha hit was Angela’s. She knocked three times, careful not to be too loud. As the door opened, Fareeha prepared to smile at her new favorite neighbor. However, she was slightly taken aback when it wasn’t Angela who answered the door; it was a tall man who’s dark hair was up in a ponytail, a single strand hanging over his face.

“Can I help you?” He asked, his face showing no emotion.

Fareeha blushed, a lump forming in her throat. This man was positively _gorgeous._ She could barely concentrate. “Yes, um,” She muttered, “is Angela home? I needed to ask her something.”

The man nodded. “Angela, a little girl is here for you!” He called back into the house. His accent was fairly noticeable and only managed to scramble Fareeha’s brains more. She heard a female voice call back, though she didn’t hear what it said. There was some noise in the background, and soon Angela appeared in the doorway.

”Thanks, Hanzo,” She said with a smile, patting the man on the shoulder. He nodded and walked away. “Well hello, sweetheart! What can I do for you?”

My mom wanted me to invite you to dinner tomorrow,” Fareeha replied.

Angela squealed with excitement. “Oh, tell her I’d love to! Do you think it would be okay if I brought a couple of people, though? My boyfriend’s brother is staying with us and I’d hate to leave him home.” She gestured inside to Hanzo and another man, presumably Angela’s boyfriend, sitting on the couch together.

Fareeha shook her head. “I’m sure mom wouldn’t care. I’ll just tell her to prepare for more people.”

“Tell her I’ll make some more meatballs, too!” Angela replied, “I’ll do whatever I came to help.”

The two girls said their goodbyes and Fareeha walked off of Angela’s property. As she walked across the street, she had an image of Hanzo in her head. She had developed a schoolgirl crush over the course of thirty seconds. At that, she mentally facepalmed.

Before Fareeha made it to Reinhardt’s door, it was already opening. She was slightly startled, but immediately calmed when she saw the man’s large smile. “Hello there, miss,” He greeted her, “What can I do for you?”

“My mom wanted me to invite you to dinner tomorrow night,” She replied, returning a smile.

He slapped his knee and chuckled. “Well, how nice! I’ll be there, don’t you worry.”

Fareeha waved to Reinhardt as he got into his car. She then headed off toward the yard where she had first met the other children. She was nervous to find them, but also excited. She really wanted to keep these new acquaintances. They could eat dinner, play, and make fun of Mr. Morrison together.

It took awhile for Fareeha to reach anyone, but she certainly recognized some voices from far away. Lena and Lúcio were playing ball in one of their yards. She called out to them, and waved when they met her eyes. However, their faces didn’t look nearly as enthralled with seeing her. This was worrying.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Lena asked with a sneer.

“What do you mean?” Fareeha asked in return.

Lúcio rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. “Seriously? You got Jamison in trouble, man. You ratted him out to Morrison. Now he’s grounded.”

“I’m sorry,” She quickly apologized, “I was alone. I didn’t know what else to do! I thought we were supposed to all leave together.” Fareeha crossed her arms. This caused Lena and Lúcio to look away, embarrassed. “We all have something to be mad about, but can’t we just put it behind us?”

Fareeha offered her hand to the other children. They each took turns shaking hands. “I’m glad we’re okay,” She said, “and to answer your earlier question, I came to ask you guys to come to dinner tomorrow night.”

The two grinned. “I’m always down for free food,” Lúcio said, rubbing his belly.

“Ditto!” Lena added, giving a thumbs up.

The group exchanged goodbyes and Fareeha skipped home, excited about making up with her friends. She could certainly call them that now that the silly Morrison thing was behind them. This meant she could make fun of her hated neighbor while also admiring Hanzo, and all of it would happen with her new friends.


	6. The Dinner

“Fareeha, come set the table!”

Fareeha rushed into the kitchen where her mother was washing dishes. She grabbed a large stack of plates as well as a basket of silverware and took it all into the dining room. When she walked in, however, the table set up was… off. There were eight chairs perfectly aligned, while one chair was awkwardly pushed in on a corner. She could only remember inviting six people.

“Mom!” Fareeha called, carefully putting the dishes in place, “Who is this corner chair for?”

Ana didn’t immediately answer. She turned off the water and walked into the dining room, where Fareeha continued to set up. “It’s for Mr. Morrison,” She said, “I invited him when you left yesterday.”

Fareeha stopped in her tracks. “What?”

“He came over and apologized,” Ana confessed, “I thought he seemed much nicer than before. We should give him another chance. I’m sure he’ll apologize to you, too.”

Her daughter was in shock. She couldn’t believe her mother would invite that man, and behind her back at that. Her friends were coming over, who also hated Mr. Morrison. However, there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Fareeha simply nodded, not wanting to argue with her mother before the guests arrived.

The two finished setting the table together in silence. There was a lot of waiting around before guests began to arrive. The first to arrive was Reinhardt, who met both girls with a smile. He offered several times to help with the preparations for other guests, but Ana continued to decline, forcing him to sit down and simply enjoy himself. “Just let me know if you change your mind,” He said, almost sounding disappointed.

Lena and Lúcio were next to arrive. Fareeha embraced them both at the door, then introduced them to her mother. The three headed outside to play in the backyard while they waited for everyone else to show up.

“I have good news and bad news,” Fareeha said once the back door was closed.

Lúcio tilted his head in confusion. “What’s up?”

Fareeha sighed, “My mom invited Mr. Morrison yesterday when I wasn’t home. She said he apologized and we should give him another chance.” Lena and Lúcio gasped. They stared at Fareeha like she had just killed someone, or maybe she just killed their good time.

“What’s the good news?” Lena said with a sigh, as if she didn’t really want to know anymore.

“Well,” Fareeha bit her lip to conceal her huge grin, “Angela is bringing her boyfriend’s brother over and he is _hot_. We can totally gawk over him and pretend like Mr. Morrison isn’t even there.”

Lúcio frowned. “What? Why do we care about-”

He was interrupted by Lena’s squeal. “Oh my gosh, do you mean _Hanzo_ is going to be in _your house?”_ She jumped up and down, practically kicking her knees into her chest, “The neighborhood girls swoon over him every time he comes to visit. Oh, I cannot wait!”

Fareeha and Lena locked arms and started spinning in a circle, obviously excited. Lúcio backed away for fear of contracting some sort of plague, though he did cover his mouth to hide a few chuckles. Maybe they could have fun, even with Mr. Morrison there.

Inside, Ana welcomed more guests. Next, Angela came bearing gifts; a container full of Swedish meatballs, along with her boyfriend, Genji, and his brother, Hanzo. Ana was happy to meet the boys, even though they were fairly quiet. Everyone sat in the living room together, passing small talk back and forth. Ana started to become secretly antsy over Jack’s arrival.

The doorbell rang and Ana excused herself from the conversation to answer the door. On the porch stood Jack, holding a small bouquet of roses. “I’m sorry, I’m a little late,” He explained, “I wanted to pick up something to seal the apology. I thought these would suffice.” He handed the flowers to her with care.

Ana smiled and stepped out of the way for Jack to come in. She thanked him and headed to the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase. “You can all come sit at the table now,” She said, peeking out of the kitchen doorway. The neighbors shifted themselves from the living room to the dining area.

“Fareeha, bring your friends inside!” Ana called out the back door.

Fareeha and Lena’s eyes met, causing them both to grin wildly. Lúcio sighed loudly, but headed inside with the girls. The three sat next to each other at the table, Fareeha offering to take the corner seat. Ana took the end of the table next to Fareeha, and Jack sat to her right. Angela sat between Genji and Hanzo, and Reinhardt sat across from Ana. It looked like a happy neighborhood family.

The middle of the table was overflowing with food. There was salad, bread, meatballs, and even some red sauce pasta. Dishes were passed left and right. Compliments were muttered from full mouths. Lena and Fareeha stared at Hanzo, glanced at each other, and furiously giggled. Lúcio tried to ignore them.

“You’re going to make more of these tomorrow right?” Genji asked Angela, taking the last couple of meatballs from the container.

Angela smiled. “Aw, of course, baby,” She said, pinching his cheek. Hanzo rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue about the meatballs. He definitely appreciated them, too.

“Fareeha,” Ana asked, “would you mind getting some more pasta and bread from the kitchen?”

Fareeha nodded, grabbing the two bowls from the table. Once she left the room, Jack also tried to excuse himself. “Where are you going?”

“I wanted to see if she needs any help,” Jack said, “and I’d like to apologize to her.” Ana petted his arm for good luck, and he headed into the kitchen after Fareeha.

Fareeha was scooping pasta into the bowl when Jack walked in. “Hey, Fareeha? Can I talk to you?” She said ‘yes,’ but didn’t face him; she didn’t want to look at him, but she also needed to finish her mother’s task. “Listen, I’m really sorry about the other day. I’m not around kids much. I don’t really know how to talk to them, or react to stuff they do. I hope that makes sense.”

Surprisingly, Fareeha was a little touched by Mr. Morrison’s statement. She was happy he admitted to being mean. He knew he hurt her feelings, and he owned up to it. “Thank you,” She replied. She finished scooping the last of the pasta and turned to leave the kitchen.

Unfortunately, Mr. Morrison was behind her in an attempt to help carry the bowls. Fareeha turned directly into the man, dumping pasta entirely down the front of his white shirt. It was as if the apology never happened.

“You couldn’t have been more careful?” Jack cried, “I was just trying to help you, and now look what happened!” He gestured to the pasta on the floor as well as his shirt.

Fareeha stared at him, trying not to cry again. Chairs were scooting around in the next room. Lena and Lúcio ran in, followed by Ana. The kids ran to Fareeha, ready to help calm her down. This gave Ana the perfect window to lay into Jack, who had now proven he could not be helped; Jack Morrison was an asshole, and nothing would change that.

“You came in here to apologize to her,” Ana said, “and you couldn’t even do that. Kids make mistakes. If you can’t understand that, you need to get out of my house.” Jack’s eyes softened. He almost looked like he felt remorse. Instead of pushing it, however, Jack walked out without another word.

Lena released Fareeha from her tight hug, while Lúcio continued to rub her back. She didn’t cry, but she was still visibly upset. Ana picked the bowl off the floor and started cleaning up.

“Is everything okay in there?” Reinhardt called out.

“It’s fine,” Ana yelled back, “just a little mess, that’s all.”

Of course, Reinhardt came in and insisted he be allowed to help. Ana allowed it. After the pasta was cleaned up, Ana apologized for all the trouble. Everyone insisted they had a wonderful time, and that her food was delicious. Ana individually thanked each neighbor, exchanging hugs and handshakes galore. Lena encouraged Fareeha to look at Hanzo to cheer her up. It all ended with a good laugh.

Once the guests had left, Ana sat on the couch and beckoned Fareeha to sit with her. “I’m sorry about tonight. I really thought Jack would be nicer.”

“It’s okay,” Her daughter replied, “I still liked dinner. I love our neighbors.”

Ana smiled. She was glad her daughter was persevering over Jack’s ridiculous outbursts. When she sent Fareeha to bed, she hoped she would thrive in their new life and slowly forget about their old one.


	7. The Aftermath

The dinner party left the neighborhood on edge, to say the least. Jack avoided going outside for the most part. When he had to, any neighbor out on the street kept their eyes on the ground while passing by. He was disappointed in himself, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. The one chance he had to create a possible bond with his new neighbors was left in shambles, unfixable.

Jack occasionally looked out his window to see how everyone was doing. He saw Fareeha playing with her friends down the street, Angela and Genji going on dates, and Ana heading out to the grocery store. The world was turning without him. It would continue to until he got himself together.

A week or so after the party, Jack invited Gabriel over for a beer. He was glad to see a friendly face, but he didn’t want to admit he needed the company. “You look depressed,” Gabriel said matter-of-factly.

“I’m not,” Jack replied, sipping his beer, “the neighborhood just isn’t too happy with me right now.”

Gabriel crushed a can with his foot and tossed it into the trash can. “Keep laying low for awhile,” He suggested, “people will have to get over it eventually.”

Of course, he was right. Jack wasn’t planning on showing his face for a long time, especially to Ana and Fareeha. Ana was so sweet to give him another chance and even invite him to dinner. Fareeha was just a child. She made a mistake when she broke his living room window, and dumping the pasta on him was merely an accident. However, he couldn’t say any of that now.

While Jack was consoled by Gabriel, Ana was beating herself up at home. Though Fareeha told her everything was okay, she still regretted allowing Jack to come to dinner. She tore her daughter out of her life and made her start living a new one, only for it to be mediocre. Though she had good reason to leave, Fareeha wasn’t old enough to understand.

Fareeha still hung out with her friends, and Ana was more than okay with them coming over. She liked being able to keep an eye and an ear on them at all times. She also liked knowing Jack wouldn’t speak to any of them while she was around. She made her presence known occasionally by peeking her head out the door or yelling for the children to come in for lemonade.

Angela stopped by with food a few times, even bringing Genji and Hanzo along. Ana appreciated the company, and Lena and Fareeha appreciated the view. Lúcio wasn’t nearly as excited, but he did enjoy making fun of the girls while they were drooling over an old man. Reinhardt also visited often, asking Ana if she needed help with anything and always leaving saying, “You know where to find me.”

Yes, Ana loved how caring the neighbors were, but she felt like everyone thought she was incapable of doing things herself. She didn’t want to be seen as a scared woman. She wanted to be seen as a strong woman and a brave single mother who gave her child everything she could. She didn’t want help, she merely wanted company.

“Am I good mom?” Ana asked Fareeha one day after her friends had left.

Fareeha raised her eyebrow. “Of course, why do you ask?”

“I made you leave your whole life behind,” Ana explained, “and for what? So our next door neighbor could act like a child and yell at you?”

Fareeha took a seat next to Ana on the couch. She leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder. “Mom, none of that is your fault,” She said, “We had to leave. Dad wasn’t being good to you. I know you thought I didn’t understand because I was just a kid, but I saw how the two of you were around each other. It was bad enough for me to notice. I’m not mad at you for it.”

Ana never cried, but she held her daughter’s hand as a few tears fell. She didn’t want Fareeha to know what was going on. Regardless, Fareeha understood and wasn’t upset. That’s all Ana could ask for. “You know I did it because I love you, right?” She asked, her voice shaking a bit.

“Yeah, mom. I love you, too.”


	8. Rise and Fall

After learning the general layout of the neighborhood, Fareeha enjoyed walking around with her friends. They liked to talk, play games, and they always managed to get her back home. Of course, Lena and Lúcio were a little mischievous sometimes; all children were. Fareeha normally watched from afar if it was something too risky for her taste. It felt too risk most of the time.

On this day in particular, Lena had suggested the group climb trees. They weren’t near any forests, so the next best thing was to climb them in people’s front yards. They made sure the owner’s cars weren’t home at first, and then went to town swinging. Lúcio and Lena had contests to see who could climb the highest. Fareeha nervously watched, which made her the designated look out.

“This doesn’t seem like the best idea,” Fareeha mentioned, “I mean, what do you think they’d do if they caught us?”

Lena giggled. “C’mon, Fareeha, it’s a _tree._ I can promise you no one cares.”

Lúcio jumped from a branch onto the sidewalk, his skates quickly carrying him away. “She’s right, y’know,” He said, “you’ve gotta live a little.”

Fareeha nodded, though she wasn’t sure if she necessarily agreed. The three began walking again, scoping out the houses for some more trees to use as personal jungle gyms. They chatted amongst themselves while they looked, but Fareeha wasn’t really listening. One tree in particular had caught her eye. She contemplated if she should say anything at all. However, she was done with her friends thinking she was simply a lightweight.

“What about that one?” Fareeha asked, pointing across the street, “It looks pretty tall.”

Lena looked at the tree and looked back at Fareeha, doing a double take. “Are you kidding me?” She gestured to the house, which happened to be right next to Fareeha’s own. It was in Jack Morrison’s yard. “Are you trying to be funny? Because it’s not working.”

“I’m not,” Fareeha argued, “it was just a suggestion.”

Lúcio scoffed. “Even if that was a good idea, Morrison is home. That would just be asking for trouble.”

Fareeha shrugged. She knew it wasn’t a good idea, but she also knew it would make her feel empowered. Jack Morrison had humiliated her twice now, and she wasn’t going to cry about it anymore. She would climb to the top of that tree and if he had anything to say about it, she’d give him what for. Before the idea even finished crossing her mind, she was already headed across the street.

“Fareeha!” Lena cried, “Don’t do this! You know it’s stupid.”

Again, Fareeha simply shrugged. Lena and Lúcio sighed, but followed her anyway. They would have to bail her out of something, they were sure of that. Their friend grabbed the first branch with ease and slowly began the ascent. They watched in both fear and excitement.

“You doin’ okay?” Lúcio called up to her.

“I’m good,” Fareeha replied, “this is actually really fun! I wish I would’ve tried it before.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and we wished you would’ve tried it somewhere else.”

Fareeha continued to climb the tree. She was enjoying the breeze and the smell of the leaves around her. Everything about it was so invigorating. She forgot about the fact that she was in Jack’s front yard, or that her friends were yelling for her, or that her mother might see her at any moment by just looking out the window. Nothing mattered except that Fareeha was high in the sky and she felt free.

“Oi, Fareeha!” Lena cried, “I think Morrison is coming! Please, just come down now!”

Standing up to Morrison had most definitely been all talk because Fareeha nearly had a meltdown. As Lúcio and Len yelled for her to climb down, she began to panic. She climbed down the tree, but she didn’t have time to be meticulous about it. The door to Mr. Morrison’s house opened, and she suddenly lost her footing. Without warning, she came crashing down from the tree the second he stepped outside.

“Fareeha!”

The children gathered around her, both very worried. Fareeha stared up at them, looking completely lost. Her ankle was twisted badly, and she definitely hit her head on a tree root. Lena began shaking her in an attempt to get her to respond. There was nothing.

“Move, kids!” A voice called out. Mr. Morrison came running over. Lena and Lúcio nervously moved out of his way, worried he’d go on another tyraid. However, that wasn’t the case. “Fareeha, are you alright? Nod your head if you can hear me!” There was no response.

Mr. Morrison scooped Fareeha up into his arms and took a second to think about his options. With a quick glance over at the neighbor’s house, he could see that Ana wasn’t home. She seemed to be in too bad of shape to wait on her mother, so he had only one option. “Get in the car,” He instructed, “we need to get Fareeha to a hospital.”

Lúcio and Lena did as they were told, and Jack put Fareeha in the front seat. He instructed everyone to put on their seatbelts. When he was aware that everyone was safe, he floored it all the way to the hospital. The kids held hands, each of their free hands rested on either of Fareeha’s shoulders as a source of comfort. She was completely out of it, which Jack was secretly grateful for. He figured if she actually saw her ankle, she might be a tad freaked out.

Once the group arrived at the hospital, Jack rushed to get Fareeha out of the front seat. Lúcio assisted him, while Lena rushed inside to get their friend checked in. She was immediately swept off in a wheelchair when Jack walked her through the doors. This left the three to sit in the waiting room. A heavy silence consumed them all. It wasn’t a situation any of them wanted to be in, and yet they were stuck there.

“Why did you do this?” Lena asked suddenly.

Jack’s head tilted up at the question. “What do you mean?”

“You hate Fareeha,” Lúcio stated matter-of-factly, “it’s not like you’d wanna help her.”

It was so quiet in the room, Jack’s swallow was audible. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but Lúcio’s comment still hurt. “I don’t hate Fareeha,” He replied, “I made a mistake-”

“More than one,” Lena interjected.

“Yes, I made mistakes,” Jack corrected himself, “and I regret all of them. Fareeha seems like a sweet kid, and her mother is quite something. I’m not around kids much and I don’t really understand them, so I overreacted. It was stupid of me. I need to learn to control my anger.”

Both children were surprised at Jack’s genuine honesty. He really felt bad about the situation. The room fell silent again, but it seemed a lot less heavy. “You should probably call Miss Amari,” Lúcio suggested, “I’m sure she’d wanna know about all this.”

Jack dreaded the idea, but it was something he had to do. He pulled out his cellphone and Lena recited the house number to him. He tapped his foot while the phone rang a few times. Finally, there was an answer. “Hello?” It was obviously Ana’s voice.

“Ana, it’s Jack.”

She was quiet. He was quick to interject. “Don’t hang up,” He added quickly, “I’m calling about Fareeha.”

“What could you possibly have to say about her that you haven’t said already?” Ana asked, her tone bitter.

Jack sighed, “She’s in the hospital. She was climbing the tree in my front yard and she fell. Lena and Lúcio helped me get her here.”

“What?” Ana exclaimed, “Is she okay?”

“She bumped her head pretty good and twisted her ankle, but I’m sure she’ll be fine soon.”

The line went quiet, all except for Ana’s exaggerated breathing. “I’ll be there soon,” She finally said, “if you can, please tell her that for me.” There was a _click_ indicating she had hung up.

Jack stared at his phone, unsure of what his next step should be.


	9. Broken

Ana was shopping at the grocery when she received Jack’s call. She grabbed her purse from the cart and ran out of the store, leaving everything behind without thought. What shape would Fareeha be in when she arrived? What if her ankle was broken? What if she got amnesia? What if she was in a coma? All of the worst possible scenarios played in her mind as she sped to the hospital. 

The car was parked crooked in two different spots, but it didn’t matter. Ana didn’t have time to fix her car; she needed to be inside that second. When she ran through the front doors, it was like a scene from a movie. Her hands smacked the front desk, which startled the secretary. “Where is my daughter?” Ana asked, “Her name is Fareeha Amari. Please, I need to-”

A hand rested on her shoulder. “The doctor isn’t letting anyone see her right now, but you can sit with me if you want.” It was Jack. He tilted his head toward the waiting area; Lena and Lúcio were reading a magazine in the corner, trying to distract themselves. Ana nodded and followed him to his seat.

The two sat across from each other in silence. Jack leaned forward, arms on his knees and arms crossed. Ana looked at her feet while twirling a strand of hair in between two fingers. It was a sad sight to see. Even the children felt a little sorry for Jack, and that wasn’t an easy feat. After awhile, he cleared his throat. Ana finally looked up from the floor, but he could barely look at her.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said, “I wish I could’ve gotten to Fareeha before something like this happened.”

Ana shook her head. “Don’t apologize. She shouldn’t have been in your yard. I figured she would realize that by now…” Her tone was bitter, toward Jack and toward the situation. “Why did you stay here, anyway? You could’ve left after you called me.”

“I wanted to be here in case you needed anything,” Jack replied honestly, “I figured you might be feel upset and a tad irrational… I think we can agree I was right.”

To Jack's surprise, Ana let out a laugh. It may have been muffled, but it was definitely there. “Well, thanks. With what’s happened between us and all, it means a lot.” Jack nodded, letting her know he understood. The two of them became silent again, but the silence was different than before; the air felt light, as if a weight had been lifted. 

“Amari!” A voice called. Ana and Jack’s heads whipped around, and the children dropped their magazine on the floor. A doctor was standing just outside of the emergency room doors holding a clipboard. 

Ana immediately rose from her seat. When Jack continued sitting, Ana nudged his shoulder and waved him to follow. Both of them walked over to meet the doctor. “I’m Fareeha’s mother,” Ana explained, “How is she?”

“It’s nothing serious,” The doctor replied, “just a sprained ankle. She doesn’t have a concussion, but it would be best to keep an eye on her. She shouldn’t be doing anything too strenuous.”

“Can I see her?” Ana immediately afterward. He nodded. She followed him down the emergency room hallway, Jack on her heels. The walk felt like forever. As they got closer and closer to Fareeha’s room, Ana’s feet began to grow heavy.

Finally, the doctor stopped. He opened the door and held it open, allowing Ana and Jack to step in. The doctor closed the door behind them, allowing for some alone time. There Fareeha was, asleep on the hospital bed. Her ankle was propped up on a cushion and a bruise seemed to be forming across her forehead. She looked so peaceful for being in so much pain just hours ago. 

“Oh god,” Ana muttered under her breath. She slowly approached the bed and reached out to caress her daughter’s face. “I’m so sorry…” While she continued to hover over Fareeha, she fell silent. Jack stood by, watching the scene with a heavy feeling in his chest. Unsure of what to say to make the situation better, he simply walked behind Ana and placed a hand on her back. He figured it would help show his support without having to open his mouth; it hadn’t been doing him any favors.

Suddenly, Jack realized Ana was shaking. She was hunched over in an attempt to hide her face. Was she really crying? Before he could ask, she quickly turned and buried her face in his chest. That’s when she burst. Jack carefully put his arms around her as she wept harshly, shaking and snorting; seeing Fareeha so vulnerable caused her to completely unwind. This was the same child he had made cry. 

This is when Jack Morrison truly realized the wrong he had done. Maybe he had apologized before, but he didn’t fully process why Ana had been so angry. Now, as she cried in his arms, he finally saw how much Ana cared for her daughter.

“I’m sorry,” Ana managed to get out between sobs, “I-I’m never like this. I  _ shouldn’t  _ be like this.” She took fistfuls of his jacket and clutched them for dear life.

Jack shook his head. “She’s your kid. I think it would be worse if you didn’t care.” He held her tightly, trying to give her the support she needed. She shrank more into his chest. It was almost like he made her feel safe in a way, a feeling she hadn’t gotten from someone else in a long time. 

“We should probably go tell her friends what’s going on,” Jack said, interrupting Ana’s thoughts. 

She looked up at him. Her eyes were rimmed red from tears. “Could you go tell them?” She asked, “I want to here, if that’s okay.”

Jack completely understood. After a long paused, he finally let Ana go. The two of them shared a look before Jack left her alone with Fareeha. Ana took a seat next to the hospital bed; her daughter was beautiful, even as she slept. She wiped away a few stray tears before placing a single kiss on Fareeha’s forehead. 

“I love you,” Ana whispered, “I’m sorry I can’t ever keep you safe.”


	10. Road to Recovery

As worried as Ana was, Fareeha wasn’t in the hospital for more than a few days. The second she was back at home, her mother was ready to tend to her like a newborn again. Fareeha spent most of her time sleeping, and her waking hours were spent being waited on by Ana as well as some of the other neighbors. Sometimes it became aggravating, but she enjoyed it for the most part. The whole situation was a nice change of pace.

Of course, Fareeha was on crutches; it wasn’t needed, but her mother definitely pushed for it. She also took medicine around the clock to prevent the extreme headaches she was experiencing. Smacking your head on a tree root would do that to you. In order to make things easier, she didn’t leave the couch unless it was absolutely necessary.

The only necessity for Fareeha was a bathroom break or two during the day. Everything else was done by Ana. She brought her food and drinks with the snap of a finger. Medicine was given at the instructed times. When she wasn’t helping Fareeha, she was talking to Jack. He seemed to visit the house at least once a day; his excuse was to see if the Amaris needed any help, but it was easy to see through his rouse. 

Fareeha and Jack didn’t talk much, but they also didn’t argue. Jack just asked how she was doing whenever he came over, then spent the rest of his time admiring Ana. The two of the spoke like high school sweethearts. Fareeha hadn’t seen her mother so happy in a long time. Not only that, but he forced her to take breaks if he believed she was working too hard. No one told Ana Amari to take a break unless they wanted to get hurt.

“How have you been?” Jack asked Ana one day; it had been a little over a week since Fareeha’s accident.

Ana shrugged. “Fine, just like I said when you asked yesterday, and when you asked the day before that.”

“You caught me,” Jack said, holding his hands in the air, “I care.”

The two shared a laugh as they sat together in the dining room, while louder laughs were heard in the room next door; Lena and Lúcio were over to offer Fareeha their company. “I’m glad she has friends,” Ana muttered, “At least something here can make her happy.”

Jack frowned. “You need to stop this,” he protested, “ _ you  _ make her happy. You’re a great mom to her. She’s not the one blaming you for the accident,  _ you  _ are.” He grasped her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before pulling away. Their touches were few and far between, but he appreciated them nonetheless. 

“I know, I know,” Ana replied with a shake of her head, “it’s just hard. My biggest job is to protect her. That’s why we moved here, and she’s already been hurt.” 

The way Jack raised his eyebrow made Ana realize she had said the wrong thing. He was becoming suspicious. “What exactly were you protecting her from?” Jack asked, “By moving, I mean.” 

Ana stared at her hands, unable to meet Jack’s eyes. She kept quiet; maybe if she didn’t say anything, he’d know he shouldn’t ask again. It wasn’t something she was ever planning on mentioning again to anyone besides Fareeha, if her daughter would ever need to talk about it. So, of course she was prepared to talk about it like it was nothing.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Jack broke the silence, “but I would hope you know you can tell me anything. I know we had a rocky start, but you know I’m trustworthy now.”

A knot formed in the pit of Ana’s stomach. Her problem wasn’t that Jack was untrustworthy, but that’s what he thought. Instead of correcting him, however, she simply nodded. She didn’t want to push the subject any further.

In the living room, the children spoke in hushed tones. They were trying to talk about Jack, while also listening to him talk to Ana in the next room. It was complicated, but they had created a system to help with the process. “So, he’s really not bad anymore?” Lena asked Fareeha; Lúcio sat on the other side of the living room, a hand cupped around his ear.

“Nope,” Fareeha answered honestly, “and he seems to make my mom really happy. I just have to get used to it, is all.”

Lena nodded. She then turned her attention to Lúcio. “Got anything over there?”

“Complete silence,” he replied, slightly irked by the lack of activity. However, his eyes grew wide when Fareeha let out a sudden cough. He nearly fell off the chair as someone approached the room.

Ana peeked her head around the corner. “Are you alright, sweetheart?” She asked, sounding worried. Fareeha nodded, and her mother was gone as quickly as she had came. 

Lúcio adjusted himself back on the chair. “Does she always do that?”

Fareeha sighed. “Yes. I love her, but she worries too much.”

“At least she’s making sure you’re getting better,” Lena sympathized, “I mean, you did have a pretty nasty fall.”

“You scared me to death, and I’m never scared,” their boy friend chimed in.

Fareeha scoffed. “Yeah, says the one who skated away without me when Mr. Morrison saw us throwing the land mines.” Lúcio rolled his eyes, but refused to argue. 

The three continued their banter. Little did they know, Ana and Jack were listening in on them, too. Jack wrapped an arm around Ana as she listened to the children defend her actions. She was starting to feel like a good mother again. Of course, Jack had been telling her that the whole time, but he didn’t say anything for fear of ruining the moment. He had managed to do that enough times already.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Ana asked, looking up at Jack.

Their eyes met and Jack’s mouth immediately became dry. Her eyes did something to him. “Of course,” he managed to get out in a small voice, “what are we having?”

“Swedish meatballs,” she replied, “Angela has us hooked up with a lifetime supply.”


	11. "Just Visiting"

Fareeha sat up in bed, mindlessly watching television. Her eyes occasionally drift to her foot, which was still wrapped up to the shin in gauze. Sometimes, she wiggled her toes that poked out of the end just to give herself a little laugh. Recovery wasn’t nearly as hard now that she could get around enough her own, but she still felt somewhat lonely when her friends weren’t over and her mother was busy. 

From her room, Fareeha could hear dishes clashing in the sink and voices conversing. It was safe to assume Mr. Morrison was over. The more he came over, the more her mother acted suspiciously different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something was just  _ off.  _ However, she tried not to worry; if anything was wrong with Ana, of course, Fareeha would be the first person to know.

A knock interrupted Fareeha’s thoughts. She listened carefully to hear who was at the door. Her friends hadn’t said they were coming over, and Mr. Morrison was already there, so who could it be? Maybe Angela was bringing over more meatballs. Maybe Reinhardt came over to see if her mother needed help with anything. However, there weren’t any sounds. No one was answering the door.

Instead of yelling and disturbing whatever Ana was busy with, Fareeha carefully pushed herself out of bed and walked to the living room. She wasn’t tall enough to reach the peephole yet, so whoever it was would simply be a surprise. Maybe it was Hanzo coming over on Angela’s behalf! That got her excited. She quickly unlocked the door and pulled it toward her, ready to be whisked away.

“Hey there, sweetheart. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

A knot formed in Fareeha’s throat, making it impossible for her to speak. Her eyes widened, unable to do anything but stare. The caller opened the screen door, letting himself in. He opened his arms, but she instinctively backed up. “What’re you doing? Come give your old man a hug?”

“Fareeha, did you just go out-”

Ana walked into the room holding a dish she was drying by hand. Her eyes looked up from the dish for one second, and then it was on the floor in pieces. Jack was next to her, looking in rotation between Ana, Fareeha, and the gentleman caller. There Fareeha was, looking like a spitting image of the man standing next to her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ana’s voice was shaky, but she was obviously attempting to be aggressive. 

The man grinned as if nothing was wrong. “Why does everyone seem so tense? What, I can’t come over to visit my daughter?”

_ Daughter. _

This man was Ana’s ex-husband.

Ana didn’t talk about him much if at all. Jack only knew his name was Sam and that they were divorced. She certainly wasn’t open about his presence in her life, and judging by her current reaction, he wasn’t supposed to have a presence at all. 

“Dad, how did you get here?” Fareeha asked. Her voice was much more steady. Ana didn’t blame her. She didn’t know the extent of the situation, and she never would, either. Not if Ana could help it.

The man frowned. “I drove, of course. I heard you had been in the hospital and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Your mother never called,” his gaze turned to Ana, “Even if you’re being petty, I figured you’d call me if our own  _ child  _ was injured.”

“Shut up, Sam,” Ana spat, “you don’t care, you just wanted to come over here and scare us. You shouldn’t even be here.”

Sam stepped forward. He had all of the attention in the room. “I have every right to be here, my daughter is here. You can’t just take her away from me and think that you’re being the just one in the situation.” His fists became clenched at his sides.

“Maybe I should go,” Jack muttered, about to head toward the door. His eyes went wide when Ana reached out and harshly gripped his wrist, nails practically digging into his skin. When he met her eyes, she was terrified. He didn’t understand.

“Oh, and who is this?” Sam asked, gesturing to Jack, “You’re just bringing random men around our daughter now? That’s low, even for you.”

Ana glared at him, though she was chewing on her lip nervously. “He’s not some random man, Sam. He’s our neighbor. He’s been helping me around the house since Fareeha got out of the hospital.” She pulled him back to her side, and he didn’t argue. He wouldn’t leave now, not if Ana needed him. 

“Really?” The man scoffed, “She looks pretty uncomfortable. I really don’t think you’re helping her get any better here.”

“I’m uncomfortable because of you,” Fareeha spoke up. His head snapped in her direction, eyes narrowed. He took a few steps toward her, much faster than before, until she was backed up against the wall.

“You can’t just give me lip and think you can get away with it,” Sam said, raising his hand. Fareeha gasped and hunkered down. Ana’s eyes widened; watching from across the room, Fareeha looked just like her.

Before Ana could run to her daughter’s rescue, however, Jack stepped up and grabbed Sam’s arm. “I really don’t think you’re about to hit a child,” he said, eyes burning with anger, “especially your own daughter, and in front of her own mother noless.”

“I’ve done it the other way around, and this is no different.”

Sam’s soulless words actually had Jack taken aback. It took a moment, but everything clicked inside of Jack’s head.  _ This  _ is what Ana was protecting Fareeha from. She didn’t think she was a good mother because Fareeha had to see her broken and beaten by this horrible, heartless man: her own  _ father.  _ The thought made Jack sick to his stomach. 

“I think you should leave,” he said simply.

Sam actually let out a laugh. “You can’t tell me what to do. This isn’t even your house.”

The laugh was replaced by a blood-curdling scream when Jack flipped his arm behind his back, one move away from snapping it entirely. “Like I said,” Jack repeated, putting his mouth close to Sam’s ear, “I think you should leave.” There was venom behind every word. When he let go of Sam’s arm, it only took a few seconds for him to leave the house without looking back.

Everyone was silent, eyes darting back and forth between one another. It ended with Fareeha on the floor, bursting into tears. Ana froze for a moment, then ran across the room to comfort her. “Are you okay?” She asked, examining every inch of her skin.

Fareeha choked out a ‘yes’ before burying her face in her mother’s chest. “Why did he come here?” She cried, “Why did he want to hit me? Why does he hate me?” She was a mess, her questions barely making sense from all of the blubbering.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Ana explained, rubbing her daughter’s back in an attempt to comfort her, “he’s just not right. I’m sorry he’s like that. I wish your dad was a sweet man who I trusted to help take care of you, but he’s not and I can’t.” She hugged Fareeha tightly. The shakiness in her voice had gone away; now was the time to be strong.”

Jack placed a hand on Ana’s shoulder and she looked up, meeting his eyes. The two shared so many unspoken words in that one glance, it was as if they had suddenly known each other for a lifetime. “Would you two like to be alone?” He asked, eyes unable to move from Ana’s.

“Please stay,” Ana replying, placing a hand over Jack’s, “I think we both need it right now.” Fareeha peaked out of Ana’s arms to nod before burrowing back in. 

Without another word, Jack sat down and hugged both girls. They all sat in silence for awhile, simply enjoying the feeling of protection in each other’s company. 


	12. Scared

“What do you mean you can’t hang out?” Gabe asked, an obvious whine in his voice, “We haven’t drank in a week.”

Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, but I’m just busy right now,” he replied, “Ana is struggling with being alone.”

The line with silent for a moment. “You mean… the hot neighbor who hates you?”

“Look, we’ve made up, but that’s not the point.”

Gabriel laughed loud enough that Jack had to hold the phone away from his ear. “You’re totally sleeping together, I know it!” He cried, “You would never bail on me if you weren’t getting some-“

“I’m going to have to stop you right there,” Jack interrupted, “We’re not sleeping together. I’m being a friend to her because we’re  _ friends.  _ Got it?”

Jack could tell that Gabriel was rolling his eyes, even over the phone. “Yeah, yeah,” he said, “have fun with your  _ friend _ .” Before Jack could say anything else, the line went dead. He groaned and dropped it into his pocket. He then grabbed his backpack off of a chair and began shoving clothes into it. 

As much as Gabriel thought he was lying, he and Ana really were just friends. Was that how he wanted things to be? Not necessarily, but he was glad he could help her cope. He wasn’t sure if Ana could like him like that after their initial fiasco of a meeting. However, he was impressed with himself due to the breakthroughs he’d had with Fareeha. Overall, things seemed to be going his way.

Jack zipped up his backpack and headed next door, where he would be staying for the night. The sun was already setting. Ana seemed to call him later every day; he hoped that meant she was starting to feel better and not that she was scared to contact him.

“Come in,” Ana said with a smile when she opened the door. Jack walked in, slipping his shoes off at the door and sitting his book bag next to them.

The living room seemed noisy, though it was only the three of them. Fareeha was sitting on the couch with her leg propped up, shoveling popcorn into her mouth. She waved when she saw Jack had entered. The television was looping the DVD menu of some scary movie the girls had picked. Though this certainly wasn’t what Jack would be doing on his own, he didn’t want to be doing anything else. “Movie night?” He asked.

Ana nodded. “Fareeha suggested it,” she replied, “she thought it would be something fun to keep my- I mean, our minds off things.” She took Jack’s wrist and led him to the couch, the two of the sitting together. When Fareeha could tell they were comfortable, she immediately started the movie.

Jack wasn’t much into the movie, and he could tell Ana wasn’t either by the way she kept looking around, but Fareeha was completely enthralled. However, anything scary had Ana clutching Jack’s arm as if it was her lifeline. He knew the movie was only getting her worked up thinking about Sam, but she didn’t want to say anything because her daughter was having fun.

“That was so good!” Fareeha cried once the movie had ended, “Let’s watch another.”

Ana was about to nod, but Jack spoke up. “It’s getting pretty late,” he commented, “and I think your mom is getting tired. Maybe we should all get some rest and we’ll watch more tomorrow. Okay?”

Fareeha frowned for a moment, but nodded. “Okay,” she replied with a sigh. She carefully limped over to give her mother a hug and kiss goodnight, then headed to her room. The living room was left in silence.

“Thank you,” Ana muttered.

Jack smiled. “It’s no problem.”

Ana was still holding Jack’s arm, slightly afraid that he might escape if she let go. He didn’t try to shake her off or even question her actions. He knew she felt safe, and that’s what mattered to him. “You’re getting better with her,” she said suddenly, causing him to jump a bit.

“You think so?” He was honestly surprised.

She nodded. “She really likes you. When you leave, she always asks when you’re coming back.”

Jack couldn’t help but grin. He was glad that Fareeha could still like him, even after the mess he had made of things. Ana’s grip on his arm tightened a bit and he turned his attention to her, still smiling. She met his eyes, her expression almost fearful. “Are you alright?” He asked, turning his entire body to face her. His voice was suddenly filled with worry instead of excitement.

Ana didn’t speak; she stared into Jack’s eyes for a few moments before leaning in to meet his lips. Jack leaned in without a second thought. Suddenly, Jack was on another planet. He couldn’t believe he was kissing Ana. He had convinced himself it would never happen, and yet there they were. The kiss felt like it lasted ages, but in reality, they both pulled away after a few seconds.

“I’m sorry,” Ana said immediately, unable to look at Jack anymore.

Jack blinked. “...Why?”

“I shouldn’t have done that,” she explained, “I shouldn’t have just assumed you wanted to do that, I should’ve-”

He put his hands on both of her shoulders, silencing her. “I’ve wanted to do that for  _ weeks, _ ” he assured her, “I really like you, Ana, and I want to help you. I want to be here with you.” His eyes were wide and his tone was serious. He pulled Ana close and their lips crashed together again, much more intense than the time before. 

Jack’s hands moved to cup Ana’s face, while her hands made their way into his hair. There were slight moans and the smacking of lips, the two completely entangled in each other. Nothing existed in that moment besides their two bodies and the couch they sat on. 

“Mom!” Fareeha’s voice caused Ana to jump nearly a foot in the air.

Ana called back, her own voice becoming shaky. “What is it. Sweetheart?”

“Please go to bed! The living room lights are keeping me up.”

Jack chuckled, which brought out Ana’s nervous laughter. The two sat in silence for a moment, before he grabbed his backpack and began rifling through it. “I’ll go change in the bathroom and then I’ll turn out the lights,” he said, standing up. However, Ana grabbed his wrist before he could get anywhere.

“Just come with me,” she said, pulling him behind her as she headed down the hall to her own bedroom, but not before turning off the light.


	13. Epilogue

“Mom, I’m going to be fine. Could you stop worrying?”

Fareeha stood in front of her mother as she smoothed the skirt of her school uniform for the upteenth time. Her daughter swatted her hands away, more than over the small action.

Ana sighed. “I know, but I’m still nervous,” she replied, “aren’t you nervous?”

“ _ You  _ are making me nervous,” Fareeha retorted. 

A slap of the counter caused both of their heads to whip around. Jack stood in the kitchen, apron on in all his glory, with a plate of pancakes in hand. “You shouldn’t be bickering when your breakfast is getting cold,” he remarked, though his eyes were smiling at both of them.

Fareeha immediately grabbed two off of the stack and transferred them to her own plate before taking a seat at the table. “Thanks, Jack,” she muttered in between bites.

“You’re too sweet,” Ana added along with a kiss on the cheek.

Jack grinned. “It’s my job.”

The two exchanged a few more kisses before sitting down at the table to eat with Fareeha. Not much was said, but each of them was emotionally overwhelmed by the sight before them. Fareeha saw the way her mother looked at Jack; it was the way she had looked at her father before things had taken a turn. She loved being able to see her mother happy.

While Fareeha was overjoyed for Ana, Ana was overjoyed for her daughter. She had found someone who loved her and Fareeha all the same, regardless of their pasts. It was something she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to overcome. Now, the two of them were safe and sound in the arms of Jack Morrison.

Out of the three, Jack was, of course, the least likely to show his emotions. However, his feelings may have been stronger than both of the girls combined. He had never been close with his family, but now he had a real family to call his own. Ana loved him and Fareeha looked up to him; he made his girls feel safe at night, and that’s all he could ask for.

There was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it!” Fareeha cried, jumping out of her seat. It didn’t take long for her to come back, followed by Lena, Lúcio, and Jamison. The three of them were also dolled up in their school uniforms, though they weren’t wearing the happiest of expressions.

“It’s nice to see you kids,” Ana commented, “Jamison, it’s been awhile.”

Jamison scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin appearing on his face. “Yeah, I… I’ve been grounded for a bit.”

“Well, you can all help yourself to some food,” Jack said, gesturing to the large stack of pancakes. The children didn’t hesitate, each grabbing their own plates and lining up to sit beside Fareeha. “Take as much as you want.”

Lúcio began scarfing down pancakes like no other. “Thanks, Mr. Morrison. These things are great!”

Lena smacked the boy’s arm before smiling at the head chef of the morning. “Yes, thank you,  _ Jack. _ ” The blood went straight to Lúcio’s cheeks. He had forgotten that he had requested to be called Jack.

The children continued to converse amongst themselves, mostly about their dread of school finally starting. Ana and Jack watched them, smiles unhinging.

“They’re so cute,” Ana whispered, taking Jack’s hand from across the table. Jack simply nodded in agreement.

A  _ honk  _ from outside caused the children stuff themselves with their remaining pancakes. The bus was waiting out front, and they were sure it wouldn’t wait long. 

“Have fun!” Ana called as they all ran for the door. As excited as she was, her voice still faltered a little.

Fareeha stopped before opening the door and ran back, giving Ana a quick hug. “I love you, mom,” she spoke into her shoulder. She then went back to her friends, waving one final time. Ana watched them load onto the bus.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked as the school vehicle drove away.

Ana nodded, smiling though her eyes were sad. “I’ll be okay,” she replied.

Jack stood up from the table to give her a hug. His arms wrapped around her, immediately creating a newfound warmth. She suddenly felt safe again, and no one could take that away from her. 

“I can’t believe our baby’s going to school,” Jack whispered before kissing Ana’s forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this story ended up being so short. Because of the other things I started writing, I feel like I got away from this a lot. However, I still hope it was enjoyable and if you did like it, I would really appreciate if you checked out some of my other works. Thanks for reading! -atlus


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